Today For You
by electrakitty74
Summary: Written for speedrent, this fills in the gaps between Angel and Collins meeting and their reappearance at the loft the next morning.


"Shit."   
As if his night weren't going badly enough, now he'd fallen into a hole and twisted his ankle. If he weren't wearing combat boots, he'd have probably sprained the ankle and been totally soaked. As it was, his ankle hurt, there was freezing water seeping into the grommet holes, and his sock was damp.  
"What's wrong now, honey?" He looked up from his ankle to see the smaller man had stopped and had cocked his head to one side in concern. "You ok?"  
"I'm ok; this has just been the worst night. I just got back in town, so of course I get mugged and beaten up. I hurt my ankle, I have nothing and no where to stay, and I haven't eaten all day." Collins could feel tears of self-pity beginning to burn his eyes.  
"C'mon," The smaller, younger man offered his shoulder for him to lean on and put his arm around his waist. His hand accidentally touched Collins' bare skin where his shirt had pulled up. The touch was electric. Collins' skin shivered. Angel pulled his hand away. "Sorry, honey."  
"No, it's ok. I . . . uh . . . I can walk." He felt his cheeks warm. He glanced up to see the young stranger smiling at him.  
"You're cute when you blush. C'mon, we'll get you cleaned up and get you something to eat."  
The two walked the rest of the way to Angel's flat in silence; Angel kept a slow pace so that Collins could keep up. He would soon learn that moving slowly and silently was not Angel's typical pattern.  
Collins groaned when they arrived at the building and he saw the stairs. There was no way that he could handle stairs. Angel offered him his hand for support.  
"I promise I won't bite. Not yet, anyway." Collins looked into the young man's remarkable face. He was smiling again. This time, a gentle mischief danced in his eyes. "C'mon, let me help you, sweetie." Collins held the handrail on one side with Angel's hand on the other and slowly, they ascended to the second floor. Once they reached his level, Angel continued to support him, with one arm around his waist. Collins didn't need the help, but he didn't protest. It was intoxicating, being this close to him. Angel smelled sweet. It was hard to put his finger on exactly what the scent was, but it was familiar and homey, somehow.  
Angel helped him down onto the sofa inside the apartment. He looked around, surveying the décor. The place was a dump, but was painted in vivid colors, and there was satin, velvet, and sequins draped over everything that would stand still. The walls, floor lamps, sofa, nothing had been spared from Angel's decorating spree. Even the cat, a big black fellow with a limp, sported an electric green marabou collar. It sniffed Collins with disdain, flipped its tail, and sauntered off.  
"I can make you pasta. I've got some sauce and meatballs." Angel called from the kitchen.  
"Oh, I . . . uh . . . don't eat meat." Angel appeared almost magically in the kitchen doorway, eyeing him with interest.  
"You're a vegetarian? How fascinating! I've got a perfect recipe for you." He disappeared just as quickly, leaving Collins to wonder at this young man who had taken him in with no hesitation. Within minutes, the most delicious odors started wafting from the kitchen. Collins was suddenly hungrier than he had been in weeks.  
"That smells incredible!" he called.  
"It's almost ready."  
"Isn't it almost time for your meeting?"  
"I think I'm going to ditch it for tonight. I don't think you're really up to the stairs again. We should stay in tonight, get you some food and cleaned up."  
"Angel . . .?"  
"Yes?" Angel appeared in the kitchen doorway again, a spoon in hand and a smile on his face.  
"Why me?"  
"Why you what?"  
"Why are you so intent on helping me?"  
"You need help, sweetie." He smiled wider. Almost against his will, Collins smiled back. "Dinner's ready."  
Angel brought out two plates and moved the coffee table close to the couch. Collins sat up slowly toward the table, feeling like an old man. Angel put down the plates and reached to help him sit forward.  
Not only did it smell wonderful, Angel's veggie pasta tasted fantastic. There were red onions, green peppers, carrots, crushed red peppers, and other things Collins was unable to identify, all encompassed in a tomato sauce. He dug in hungrily. Angel watched with a smile on his face, eating some, but mainly picking at his own food.  
Once Collins had finished, Angel went to the bathroom and returned with a bottle of antiseptic and some bandages. He also brought a pair of shorts.  
"Put these on, sweetie, so I can see how bad your knees are. I'll turn around."  
He turned away and theatrically covered his eyes. Collins laughed.   
"Ok," Collins said once he was dressed. Angel peeked between his fingers and smiled at him.  
"Damn, already dressed," Angel said with a smile. "Let's have a look at your knees."  
Angel very carefully cleaned out the wounds on his knees and the palms of his hands. Collins was amazed at how gentle Angel was. His touch still set off electrical storms, and in his eyes, Collins could see that Angel felt the same way.  
"There you go darlin'." Angel said once he had satisfied himself that all the abrasions were clean. He stood and moved to sit next to Collins.  
"So tell Angel all about yourself, honey."  
Despite himself, Collins found himself telling Angel everything. The two of them talked late into the night, each unable to learn enough about the other.  
'I wonder if this is what it's like to fall in love,' Collins thought.  
Angel, on the other hand, knew he was falling hard for the handsome professor. As the conversation got more and more intimate, Angel bent in and kissed Collins gently on the lips. Collins hesitated at first, but then returned the kiss.  
"Wow." Collins whispered. They leaned their foreheads together and just breathed in the other's breath. Angel pulled away first and gently kissed Collins' swollen nose. He then kissed him on each cheek. Collins closed his eyes and sighed, happier than he'd been in years. Angel kissed each of his eyelids delicately.  
------

The following morning, Collins awakens, his head on Angel's chest. For a moment, he forgets where he is and starts awake. Angel's eyelids flutter open and he smiles sleepily down at him.  
"Good morning. Merry Christmas, honey. How are you feeling this morning?"  
"Merry Christmas. I'm sore. But never better." He reaches up and kisses Angel.  
"What should we do today?"  
"I need to go see my friends. They'll be worried about me now for sure."  
Angel stretches and yawns. "I want to go to my Life Support meeting."  
"On Christmas?"  
"Some people don't have anywhere else to go today."  
"You're right. Let's go see if we can get Mark and Roger to go."  
"Roger's the one that's positive?"  
"Yeah."   
"The one whose girlfriend died?"  
"Yeah. April."  
"Poor baby."  
"I know. Maybe we can get him to leave the apartment."  
"Maybe. But first . . . breakfast!" Angel slides carefully out from under Collins. With a kiss, he leaves him sitting on the couch. Collins closes his eyes for a moment, just living in the amazing turn of events since he got back to town. Beat up, starving, mugged, and now this . . . in love? Not possible. Things like this do not happen in real life, he tries to tell himself.  
"Do you eat eggs?" Angel calls and Collins opens his eyes.  
"Ah, no. . .Thanks. Let me help you." He stands and moves to the kitchen, pleased to find that while he was still a little stiff and sore, everything still works. When he sees Angel in the kitchen, attending to pancakes and fried potatoes and trying to make coffee at the same time, he laughs.  
"Look at you, Miss Betty Homemaker." Angel grins.  
"I do what I can."  
"Let me help." Collins kisses him.  
"You can make the coffee."  
"Now that I can do."  
They set about, working together in the cramped kitchen, neither minding when from time to time they bump elbows. Once the food is ready, Collins impulsively sweeps Angel into a hug, kissing him tenderly.  
"Thank you."  
"For what, sweetie?"  
"For everything. For all this. For taking me in when I needed help. For . . . for making the worst day of my life into the best night I've ever had."  
"You're welcome." Angel smiles, leaning into Collins' arms. Collins is sure he's seen something more beautiful than that smile, but he isn't sure what it might be.

------  
Once breakfast was finished and the dishes washed up, they started planning their day.  
"I wish I had some money," Collins groans. "It's kind of a thing with me and Mark and Roger. I always bring them groceries and stuff."  
"I've got plenty of money. We'll go find a grocery store that's open and buy them whatever their hearts desire."  
"Angel, no. You've already done too much for me. I can't let you feed my friends too."  
Angel smiles and reaches over to kiss him.  
"Today is for you, darling. Tomorrow'll be for me." Collins grins and pulls the smaller man into his arms, kissing his short curly hair.  
"I don't deserve you, Angel. All you do is give."  
"Once you're back on your feet, we'll give to each other."  
"So. . .what is this, anyway? Are we becoming a thing?"  
"Darling, we're everything." Collins leans down and kisses the young man again. Angel settles into his arms for a few more minutes, sighing happily.   
"Ugh! It's almost 9 o'clock. We'd better get moving if we're going to make that meeting today. I've still got to get changed. And you need a clean shirt, young man. We can't have you roaming the city, looking like something from a crime show." Angel stretches up and kisses Collins again, then disentangles himself from his arms and disappears again, this time into his bedroom. A second later, he comes back with a clean grey thermal shirt; almost the twin of the one Collins is wearing.  
"Go on, the bathroom's back there. You can get a shower and change. I'm going to get dressed."  
------

Once he has showered, Collins feels a thousand times better. He puts on Angel's clean shirt and the rest of his own clothes and not really knowing where else to go, heads back for the couch. He sits and closes his eyes again, just waiting for Angel to be ready. He hears the click of heels on the floor and opens his eyes. Standing before him is a vision in red and white. His mouth falls open and he laughs delightedly.  
"Wow! Angel is that you? You look . . . wow!" He stands, facing the lovely young woman Angel has become.  
"You like?"  
"I do. . .damn!" His hands slip around Angel's small waist, almost against his will and he leans in for a kiss, careful not to ruin her lipstick.  
"Let's don't start something we can't finish now." Angel warns. "We have things to do today."  
"Ok, baby," Collins responds. "We'll get back to that later. Shall we go?" He slips his hand into Angel's and they head out together.  
------

Collins had never realized that grocery shopping could be such fun. Once they find an open store, Angel dances from aisle to aisle in her sassy boots, charming everyone they meet. They buy all the essentials, a complete Christmas feast, ending of course, with Collins' favorite; Stoli. Angel pays the cashier who looks a whole lot cheerier when she sings out a Merry Christmas to him than when they entered. Collins marvels again at this young wonder who has befriended him, even chosen him, as it seems.  
They pack all of the groceries into Angel's pickle tub and walk onward to Mark and Roger's loft. Collins uses Mark's key and lets them into the building. Angel stops him just inside the doorway.  
"I want to meet your friends the right way, make an entrance, so you go on in and talk to them, and I'll wait 'til you're ready, ok?"  
"Umm . . . sure baby. What've you got planned?"  
"You'll see."  
Together, they climb the stairs to the third floor loft. Angel waits out in the hall as Collins lets himself in.  
"Merry Christmas, bitches!"


End file.
